Aiming to create more diverse & safer spaces in the arts

Mission

POSI VIBEZ Collaborative Music & Arts Society is an interdisciplinary art collective and not-for-profit organization founded in 2014 focusing on empowering and educating through cooperative initiatives. Our mission is to create a positive and equitable space that includes and honours the voices of women, people of colour, indigenous people and the LGBTQ2SIA community.

Goals

We wish to foster an open dialogue about the prevalence of violence and prejudice in our society and collectively contemplate new forms of resistance through the arts and creative collaboration. We are a community that welcomes and encourages all voices. It's a way for us to come together and help each other out.

01.–

Through concerts, educational workshops, and showcasing independent artists of all disciplines, Posi Vibez seeks to provide inclusive, safer spaces with aims of increasing progressive social dialogue and positive community growth while dismantling negative stigmas.

02.–

Installing “pop-up” Safe Spaces at local events and festivals, including a team called Posi Peers, who provide non-judgmental assistance to patrons with a large range of needs; including addiction and substance abuse, physical or mental disability, and individuals feeling anxious, unsafe or threatened.

03.–

Aligning Posi Vibez showcases and events with local charities or organizations that raise funds or provide social services to marginalized communities, local artists, and educational initatives.

04.–

Launching a community around Camp Posi Vibez, modelled after a traditional summer camp with programming that includes workshops, panels, camp fires, and wilderness exploration. These activities will coincide with a variety of artistic pursuits such as music, visual art, installation and performance.

History

POSI VIBEZ was formed in 2014, after founder Kate Killet had attended various festivals around the world and witnessed a glaring void in support services at these events; the need to provide a calm, understanding space where someone feeling vulnerable could go and connect with “posi peers” when feeling overwhelmed; due to anxiety, harassment, and/or substance abuse. She also started covering herself and others in glitter as both a queer & POSI signifier. POSI VIBEZ aims to bring back old school festival ethos of peace, love and community whilst focusing on the art & music - in reaction to the modern madness.

The first POSI VIBEZ event was in 2015, an installation at Camp Wavelength that was part capture the flag, part team building exercise and part self-esteem building. Since then POSI VIBEZ has grown, having hosted a number of shows featuring upcoming independent artists such as Hooded Fang, Blunt Chunks, Calvin Love to name a few. POSI VIBEZ has also has been involved and a part of cultural festivals such as Camp Wavelength, Long Winter, and more. In 2017, POSI VIBEZ Collaborative Arts & Music Society became a registered not-for-profit organization to continue building on the goals Killet imagined for the community.